500 Years of Solitude
by stefan-deserves-romance
Summary: OS-KatherinexElena:"Death. It s something society has chosen to romanticize in order to free this theme from its natural wickedness. Thereby dying holds nothing slanderous, it s not loud or startling. It s quiet and not necessarily a reflection of the life we lived." (Set in 5x11)


500 Years Of Solitude

_I think the story speaks for itself. Happy TVD's night._

**500 Years Of Solitude**

The only thing certain in life is death. No matter which path we've chosen; if we were good, not so good – assiduous or lazy – we all are heading towards the very same goal: Death. It´s something society has chosen to romanticize in order to free this theme from its natural wickedness. Thereby dying holds nothing slanderous, it´s not loud or startling. It´s quiet and not necessarily a reflection of the life we lived.

* * *

"_She wants to see you Miss Gilbert. She has told me about your differences over the last couple of years but I need to sound a note of caution here. It might be the last opportunity for you to talk to your twin sister."_

That phone call had reached her almost one hour ago. And there she sat – Elena Gilbert. Not so newly vampire at an anteroom waiting for the doctor to give her green light, so she could give her "twin sister" a heartbreaking and teary farewell. _"She wants to see you…" _This sentence kept on repeating on her mind over and over again. _"I hope I´m not disturbing some important business?" _He had asked so politely on account of her retaining reaction that she found herself feeling like the greatest coward wandering on mothers beautiful earth.

Her nervousness had been readily available but gladly they all chalked it up to her being in all consuming dolefulness. If they knew she and the others had been sitting at the Boarding house less than two hours ago, clinking glasses.

The carpeted floor had already seen its best days but to Elena it exerted a pull she wasn't able to ignore. Old, manky and blotched; splaying all the hidden stories and fates for Elena to read. How many tears had this carpet absorbed, how many pleads had been heard, how many letdowns witnessed? Uncountable. But Elena wouldn't join them.

Though she had changed since her transition, her choice for Damon and their earth quaking summer, she hadn't changed basically as she still held on humanity as a guideline.

Not being empathetic wasn't compatible with this guideline, even if she wouldn't shed tears for Katherine Pierce.

"Miss Gilbert? You may now want to visit your sister." A podgy nurse in her mid-forties stacked her head through the anterooms door. "Sweetheart?" Her calming voice freed Elena from drowning in her preoccupancy. "Try to muster a smile, honey for your sister's peace of mind. It´s tough but you gotta try." The words didn't fail to have the desired effect as Elena indeed forced her lips to form a small smile. Even if it wasn't for Katherine in particular it was Elena's personal reassurance.

* * *

The –tragically- so familiar corridor had not forfeited any of its trepidation. The acrid-sharp hang tangly that the light note of peppermint was of no consequence for the overall picture. A chamber of horror spread its wings to embrace her. People on the brink of death, drawing last breaths, sighs and lamentations were signposting her way.

_It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to._

_Cry if I want to, cry if I want to _

_You would cry too if it happened to you_

The music floated quietly through the closed door. "What´s that song?" Elena asked in bewilderment as the only answer she got was a motherly smile combined with a squeeze. "Just go inside. She will be happy to see you." "If you say so…" Elena mumbled. If there was one thing Elena was sure of it was that Katherine Pierce would never want to see anything of her except maybe a dusty cloud. Although the roles were switched now and Elena had no rational reason to fear the old used-to-be-vampire, the sheer thought of a confrontation made Elena's bones raddle.

The door opened releasing a squeaky sound of years of wilfull neglect.

Despite her imagination sickrooms had to have some sort of an soul-destroying aura, this room turned out as one of the livings with its large window, the azur curtains and the orange-painted walls. A perfect place to die for – just like a hospice where every room rather was taken from a tour guide.

"Oh don't you just stay there making a face as long as a fiddle. Your insulting me." Katherine's riny voice commanded weakly but not less energetically.

Comparable to Cleopatra on her sedan, Katherine was throning on her bed framed and comforted by a sea of pillows. This whole scenery was beyond surreal. Dying is sad, pathetic, ugly – and sometimes it helds the habit of being dirty. But with Katherine it wasn't. Her passing was suggestive of being meticulously lay there,dressed up all glamarous with her perfect eyebrows, the eyelid line and the gleaming lipgloss as for a fotoshooting. It was always possible to cheat on death one way or another.

Elena hadn't put much effort in sympahtizing or grappleing how bad her doppelganger was really doing not until the situatiuon had brought its influence to bear so that she could enter the events in all their entireness. Her faces grayness combined with her formely soft features given away to the sharp cone ends that were now her bones made her seem rather dead than alive.

Involuntarily a question invaded Elena's heart. The question concerning the sense in the middle of this sea of nonsense. To see Katherine die, was as good as seeing herself dieing.

"Just tell me why I am here."

_I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited but I_

_Couldn't stay away I couldn't fight it_

_I hoped you'd see my face_

_And that you'd be reminded that for me it isn't over_

Stiff as mannequins they made the essential comparison. It was a nightmarish situation for the both of them even though it had to be emenated Elena was the one with a lack of snappisch souveranity, The women's similarity was no more confined to outwardness. The only thing making the difference between her and her fading match was, that Elena still was able to name people who loved her unconditionally.

"I have asked you to come because I wanted to thank you."

Faster than greased lightning, Elena's head jolted in Katherine´s direction, garnished with nothing than pure disbelief in her eyes, was enough of an delayed gratification for Katherine. "For what?" Elena was craking. Her throat felt oddly dry. She knew this feeling from her former life. The first trace of a bad sting of remorse for being a murderer of sound mind and disposing memory.

"I wanted to say thanks for giving me back my life." Under strenous effort she tried to straighten up but her thin arms were trembling stormily and within a second, she collapsed. Her eyes were tightly shut as her debilitation lung fluttered like a butterfly.

"Wait, let me help you." In a flash, Elena had wound her arms around Katherine´s body holding her upright. There was no chance of letting go, she would have caved in again. "I got you." She smiled friendly. It was assumable that they had never had such a close contact to each other. "

"They consider us twins."

"Why wouldn't they? It´s obvious." Katherine whispered with a smile playing around her lips as the truth hit them relentlessly.

"You can let go of me now, I think."

As a matter of course Elena took her seat on the bed´s edge. The excuse shouldn't be belied a lie.

As inviting as this room had been designed, the aura of a chapel wasn't debatable; the only sounds reaching Elena's vampire ears were coming from outside, making this room appear even more as an independent cosmos. Paradisiacal, silent and levitating. It was so silent that not even medical equipment had a right to exist.

Death always comes soft-footed. Elena knew that as it had been quiet underwater as well. It´s said that, during the last second of your life, the brains turns out the autopilot – every sound is being filtered out and the fear is locked up. Is that what is called "true luck" that every human being´s has been born to find?

"Why did you make me come here?" In the quietness of the room Elena's normal voice level almost felt inappropriate. Kat grabbed her hands appeasingly, holding them with all the power she could muster. "I wanted you to have a glimpse on what you would look like as an old lady." It was hard to define where laughter started and coughing began but it was unmistakable Katherine Pierces sarcasm talking. What she had hated about Katherine for so long, was now lightening her mood. It was as if the lie had transformed into truth: It would hit her, if Katherine died and up until then, Elena was determined to hold her hand. "I am not even sure if not aging does bother me anymore."

"Really? I used to talk the same and believed it – like you do. In honesty, you believe and disavow in the manner I did.

We love to believe that we are inimitable. And in some sense, we might be considered as unique. But "be yourself!" only means to be who you are and let yourself be guided by your emotions and not your head. It doesn't say anything about someone else feeling exactly the same way or asking the same questions.

Individuality is life-affirming as blood is for a vampire. But the equality of ours can be found in our urge to be individual.

None of them had known, and as they knew all they wanted was to define battle lines – nor recognizing how every try was only bringing them closer together.

"You remember the tomb – you lured me with a drawing of my family."

"I absolutely have no idea what you are talking about."

No-one likes their face being read – not by their parents, not by their friends and most importantly not by "frenemies."

"Of course you do." Katherine commented all patronizing. She could read Elena like she read her favorite novel. "You knew this had been my weak spot."

"You gave the information to me freely before gaining the book. – For a drop of blood, remember?"

If motion and emotion don't give away anything, it can only mean one thing: Your father had been a hell of a poker-player, showing you his best tricks and tips. In Katherine's case, this ability had to be grounded on her 500 years of solitude.

But like mentioned before: Rome wasn't built in one day either.

"Correct. But why shouldn't I have drunken it? You would have given it to me nonetheless – trusting I would give you all my information anyways. At least that's what I would have done being a small and unsure human being."

Events that change your life do change yourself as person as well. Sometimes on the whole and sometimes in a manner making us protesting vehemently while society is looking blankly at us.

Despite her physical condition not much about Katherine had changed. The presence of hers was still capable of getting a stadium en-lighted and even though everyone knew the ripping hyena had become a kitten, a wave of respect and awe was being spilled upon her nonetheless.

Elena herself was making no difference. She knew, maybe better than anyone else, how an old beast of prey may lose its teeth but never its naturally given instincts. As a part of Katherine would always remain a vampire, Elena would always be partly human – with mannerisms. As a kid she had found peace in playing with her pillow´s or blanet´s corner.

"It had just fallen into my hands, and I thought…"

"You just thought I must be as a huge family-man as yourself. Not bad Gilbert, I must say. Not bad."

The smile Elena chose instead of a vocalized answer was one of a bashful child.

"And you knew I would give you credit for that, didn't you?"

"I didn't _know. _I was assuming because…"

"Because this is who you are. Always expecting the best…"

If this statement had been meant to come out sarcastic, Katherine had failed. Instead of feeling insulted Elena felt a strong wave of nostalgia rising.

"You always finishing my sentences?"

"I thought that's what twins are expected to do."

"Speaking like a machine gun?"

"They feed each other´s lines."

A conspiratorial glance says more than a thousand words.

"Would you please hand me the book on my bedside table?"

The book´s pages were yellowed. It seemed more like an artefact than an actual novel. One glance only and it might be disintegrating into dust. Another fit of coughing broke through the relaxing silence as Elena felt her heart aching. It was a pathetic noise.

" I never have been a girl of unctoursness." For some reason Elena couldn't manage to believe that. Not only because she refused to but because she simply knew better than that. Having thought so, she chose to letting her have this part of masquerade. Katherine knew there the land lies. " I want you to read this – loudly. My eyes have become bad and I sadly couldn't make it to the optician."

_Though I have no explanation for this newly founded desire of mine, I feel the urge to give into it. It feels like compulsion but stronger. Coming out of myself I still feel how it´s too unlike me to be. But after hearing him speaking about how unchaining this is._

Elena knew what this paragraph had been written about. It described Katherine's first days after arriving at the Salvatore Mansion this fateful spring in 1864. She had recognized it immediately. The handwriting was very close to her own. She accepted the sting only reluctantly caused by the devil better known as certainty. She didn't had to ask as well as she didn't had to hear. She knew it was valid.

By all that had happen, by all choices been made, she still had counted on her belief that what Stefan and her had had had been made of fame. Thereby it hadn't been anything more than a cruel curse. Tears were rolling down her cheeks making the pitch-black letters dancing in front of her eyes. Out of nowhere she felt being humiliated by Katherine. But was it actually Katherine's fault that Elena wasn't able to handle a situation she had been informed about before?

Of course not. But it was so much easier than any other reaction possible.

_I never met someone comparable to him. Maybe the world existing during my humanly lifetime wasn't rich of these kind of men? While daydreaming I find joy in fooling myself with the absurd idea, my suicide wasn't born out of pure fear and egoism but out of universe guiding me directly to Stefan._

"Why do you keep on reading?" Elena flashed Katherine a cautiuos glance over her shoulder.

"If you just stop mid-reading?" As innocent and unintentional as Katherine had concieved this situation, there was something brewing under the surface. _Her surface or yours, Elena?_

But Elena's interest was limited. Her coming here had been a crazy idea. So, why did she come anyways? _Because deep down you are stil the same girl, you ever were. _She had her back turned on Katherine, arms defiantly folded over her chest. She had to focus on the window, the world outside this room. Don't let down your defenses. Never had she wanted so feel like this again.

"_How are you doing today, Elena?"_

_Every time, the room seemed smaller than the last time. A light-colored office, modern and a steady reminder of how much money a psychologist is able to gain. But every time all she saw were walls coming closer and closer, drowning her._

_Dr. Sullivan was a kind elderly man with whitley hair, a fonderness for bow ties and… sat across from her with his legs crossed and his clipboard balancing on his knee. His brown dress pants revealed a pair of stained socks._

_She was usually sitting on the other cold leathered armchair, kneading her fingers nervously and mostly in silence, while he maltreated his clipboard._

_He had asked her about her friends, about Jenna and Jeremy and if she would say her life was restoring back to normality. More or less, she had replied as it was expected. Grieving for something doesn't come along with a loss of Dr. Sullivan regarded her with suspicion, he admired her strength._

_A lot of people she was surrounded by, she could have entrusted, but how could she have done that? Everyone around her was – minimum- in the same stadium of grieve as herself._

_Only as she had bumped into Stefan, she sun had been shining again._

_It had been this specific kind of feeling, you plainly know it´s there without any need to ask for reasons or explanations._

She hadn't felt this way when she first met Damon

"Are you okay?"

Katherine had appeared behind her back out of nowhere, Though you could see what an enormous torture it was for her to advance herself in the wheelchair, Katherine made it look like normality.

Katherine Pierce was the definition of pride.

Previously that day, she hadn't even managed to straighten herself up on her own and now?

The condemneds live longer. This knowledge may not be based on scientific results, but it is said the regain of long lost strength in the eyes of death, was the last act before the final curtain calls.

"When I was a kid, I loved watching the sky and looking at the clouds passing by; always searching for a new picture: a bear or a carriage."

The chair scratched usurpingly over the floor as Elena chose to be on pair with Katherine. They now both shared the same view of the beautiful sunset and its last sunrays.

"I´ve failed in finding two completely alike clouds. It´s remarkable, isn't it? They share the same structure, the same consistence and yet their development is unknown and unquestionable unique. They are like two sides of the same coin."

_You know how the time flies_

_Only yesterday it was the time of our lives_

_We were born and raised_

_In a summer haze bound by the surprise_

_Of our glory days_

Elena didn't dare to make a sound. For nothing she wanted to take away this moment from Katherine and herself. It was like she was telling her a secret placed in a parallel universe, in which they both were truly connected over the bond of birth, not a curse.

_Nothing compares no worries or cares_

_Regrets and mistakes their memories made_

_Who would have known how bittersweet_

_This would taste_

"I´m feeling tired. Would you mind helping me into bed?" A small yet heart-melting smile enlightend Katherine´s face as she spread her arms wildly. As a matter of course , Elena wound her arms around her not so alike-twin, hoisted her up and tucked her in, brushing a strained of gray hair out of her face. "Thanks for giving me an impression"

_It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, _

_cry if I want to, cry if I want to. _

_You would cry too if it happened to you. _

"Your welcome. I am afraid, we should have had this kind of meetings earlier." Katherine replied with fading voice. "Would you…" unlike her, she seemed quite unsure about her next move. Katherine Pierce running out of words? Miracles do happen.

Almost indiscernible, Katherine nodded towards her old and yellowed journal. "I´ve never made it to more than three pages. "I am not patient enough for something like that. Guess only one of us was blessed with talent to become a published writer on day." She explained, srugging while her eyes were full of pleading. "But I believe, you would grant it its deserved appraisal. "

Shaking like a leaf, Elena took the journal from Katherine´s bony hands, pressing it onto her chest. She knew there was sense in starting a deeper discussion about the why. It was the gesture that mattered "I promise to cherish it. Thank you Katherine."

" it´s Kat, by the way."

"Kat" Elena replied friendly as they both shared their first and only look of sisterly conspiracy.

The door closed releasing a squeaky sound of years of willful neglect.

_Never mind I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you too_

_Don't forget me I beg, I'll remember you say_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead_

* * *

_To my sister Elena,_

_That kind of love never dies._

_Let the clouds be your proof._

_Forever yours,_

_Kat_

* * *

**Fin**

_AN: Leslie Gore- It's My Party _ _ Adele – Someone Like You_


End file.
